Caldwell County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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Caldwell County History and Information

Caldwell County Facts

Caldwell County was organized December 29, 1836, from Ray County and named for John Caldwell, Indian scout. Alexander Doniphan is credited with naming Caldwell County in honor of an Indian fighter whom his father, Joseph Doniphan, had known in Kentucky. According to Floyd C. Shoemaker, Doniphan probably referred to Colonel John Caldwell, the famous soldier for whom Caldwell County, Kentucky was named. Mathew Caldwell has also been cited as the man for whom the Missouri county was named. The County Seat is Kingston. Caldwell County was once a part of Ray County. For many years after the organization of Ray County, the territory now included in Caldwell was unsettled. Over it roved migratory Indians and white hunters, but it was not considered for homes because it had too much prairie land. Early settlers avoided prairie sod which refused to be broken by their weak plows and preferred the timber lands which, having been cleared, gave them mellow soil and also provided them with wood for building cabins and for fuel.

In 1833 began the first town in Caldwell County. Three Lyons brothers, who were Mormon exiles from Jackson County, settled at Log Creek, two miles southeast of Kingston. They built a horse mill (the first mill in the county), a blacksmith shop and three cabins for their families.

The early pioneers came into the county by following trails rather than roads. Tall prairie grass grew on either side. A state road from Richmond to Gallatin which passed through Kingston was for years the only thoroughfare connecting our county with the Missouri River. Merchandise intended for this section was carried by boat to Camden in Ray County and then carried over this state road by ox team to its destination. This road passed through the site where Hamilton was later built. In 1855, the stage coach route was established between Gallatin and Lexington. Hamilton, scarcely yet started, was made a stage station.
Caldwell County has not always had twelve townships as at present. Soon after the organization of the county, there were four townships. Rockford which comprised the present western tier of counties (Kidder, Mirabile and Rockford); Blythe which comprised Hamilton, Kingston and Grant; Grand River which took in all of range 26 and 27 which lay north of Shoal Creek; and Davis which took in all of range 26 and 27 which lay South of Shoal.

In 1867, changes were made. Rockford was sub-divided; the part North of Shoal was Kidder township, the part South of Shoal was Mirabile. Grand River township was sub-divided. Range 26 became Elm, Range 27 became Grand River. Blythe was sub-divided into Hamilton, eight miles long, and Kingston, ten miles long. This made seven townships. in 1870, the twelve townships of equal size were arranged as at present and the name of Grand River Township was changed to New York Township by petition of the residents thereof, most of whom had come as settlers from the state of New York in the late 60's.
There are eight towns at present in the limits of Caldwell County. Kingston, Mirabile, Hamilton, Breckenridge, Kidder, Nettleton, Polo, Braymer and Cowgill. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Caldwell County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1860-1887; Deed records, 1860-1903; Index to mortgages, 1876-1885; Mortgage deeds, 1860-1910; PIat book, 1835-1857; Government survey records, 1818-1823; Marriage records, 1860-1922; Applications for Marriage License, 1895-1919. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Index to circuit court records, 1859-1889; Circuit court records, 1860-1886. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1857-1 896; Probate records, 1856-1887; Probate minutes, 1878-1882; Index to administrator’s/executor’s letters, bonds and records, 1856-1880; Administrator’s/executor’s letters, bonds and records, 1856-1888; Index to inventories, appraisements and sale bills, 1860-1886; Inventories, appraisements and sale bills, 1860-1886; Proof of publication, notices and affidavits, 1866-1889; Settlement records, 1870-?; Guardian’s/curator’s records, 1885-1892; Index to will records, 1860-1905; Will records, 1860-1929. The Health Department has Birth & Death Records from 1910-Present. See Court Records for more details on whats available from the courthouse.

Counties adjacent to Caldwell County are Daviess County (north), Livingston County (east), Carroll County (southeast), Ray County (south), Clinton County (west), DeKalb County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Braymer, Breckenridge, Cowgill, Far West, Hamilton, Kidder, Kingston, Mirabile, Polo

Caldwell County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
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Caldwell County Court Records

See Also Missouri Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Fire consumed most county records when suspected arsonists set the courthouse ablaze April 19, 1860. On November 28, 1896, fire once again consumed the Caldwell County courthouse.

All Departments below are in the Caldwell County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 86, Kingston, MO 64650-0067; Telephone: (816) 586-2581 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at ? . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Caldwell County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from ?.
In this office in each county is located an index to common pleas, records of all extant proceedings, chancery minute books, records of births and deaths, county court records, right-of-way and road records, as well as surveyor's records (including field notes and plats made by the county surveyor). This office usually holds the county treasurer's notes, bonds and commissions, records of marks and brands, wolf scalps, stray notices, real estate assessments, and tax books. In some counties, early terms for this court included “Chancery” or the “Court of Common Pleas.”

Caldwell Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1860 and Land Records from 1835.
The Office of Recorder of Deeds records and files instruments of writing affecting real property or personal property, subdivision plats, federal and state tax liens, and other instruments of writing. Also, the Recorder’s Office issues marriage licenses, and in accordance with the Uniform Commercial Code files termination statements. All recorded instruments are available for public research.

Caldwell County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1856 .
In the smaller counties, probate matters are handled in the same office as the associate circuit court office. (In larger counties, there will be a separate probate court clerk's office and separate probate judges/commissioners).

Caldwell County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1859.
This office holds the direct index to records such as divorces, debt, dissolution of partnerships, adoptions, judgment, and tax fee books including direct and indirect indexes. They also retain the index to criminal records and criminal files of the circuit court. Adoptions are under the jurisdiction of the circuit court. Naturalization records, including petitions, declarations of intention, certificates, and certificates of allegiance, and granting of citizenship are also located in the clerk's office, as well as an index to civil case files. Some naturalization records have been found with the deeds.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include:Missouri Marriages, 1766-1983, Missouri Marriages to 1850, Missouri Marriages, 1851-1900. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Land Patents: 1831 - 1969. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Click Here to Search Missouri Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Caldwell County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Caldwell County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Caldwell County, Missouri Court Books at Amazon.com
Missouri Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Caldwell County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The Missouri Historical Society has some original tax records; others can be found in the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri, but most extant records remain in the office of the clerk of the county court. The Missouri State Archives has microfilmed some tax records for the counties of Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Chariton, Clay, Cooper, Franklin, Howard, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, St. Charles, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve.

Prior to 1850, purchasers of the federal lands in Missouri were exempt from land taxes for five years after purchase. If one finds an ancestor on a Missouri tax list with livestock, etc., but no land being taxed, the individual may have purchased his land from the government within the preceding five years.
Some early delinquent tax lists were sent to the state auditor's office and are now located in the Capitol Fire Documents held by the Missouri State Archives

Below is a list of online resources for Caldwell County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Caldwell County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Caldwell County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com

Caldwell County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Missouri Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Caldwell County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Caldwell County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Caldwell County Historical Society, Inc. , P.O. Box 32 - Kingston, Missouri - 64650
Local Missouri Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Missouri State Archives, Missouri State Information Center, [EMAIL]
P.O. Box 1747, 600 West Main Str, Jefferson City, MO 65102; Phone:(573) 751-3280, Fax: (573) 526-7333
State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Str., Columbia, MO 65201-7298; (573) 882-7083, [EMAIL]
Missouri State Genealogical Association, P.O. Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833
Missouri Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
See the Society page for more statewide Societies and archives
Missouri Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Caldwell County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Missouri Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Caldwell County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Caldwell County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Missouri State Archives has published A Brief Guide to Church Records on Microfilm which is a county by county listing, but it is currently out of print. The available church records can be located by using the Archives' Manuscript Register. Church microfilm rolls are not available for purchase, without written consent of the individual church, and must otherwise be used at the Missouri State Archives. The Western Historical Manuscript Collection on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus holds some church records. These can be located by using their descriptive catalogue or microfiche guide. Most church records in Missouri are scattered and remain in private hands

There is no central registry for cemeteries located in Missouri. The following national cemeteries are located in Missouri:

Springfield National Cemetery, 1702 E. Seminole Street, Springfield, Missouri 65804. All known soldiers buried there, including those transferred from towns throughout southwest Missouri were published in Ozar'kin
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 101 Memorial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63125. There is a card file reference to persons interred there. Inquiries may be made by phone or mail.
Jefferson City National Cemetery, 1024 E. McCarty Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. The researcher may phone or write the Jefferson Barracks for information.

Below is a list of online resources for Caldwell County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Caldwell County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Missouri Bible Records, Volume 1: The database is the first volume in a series of Bible records that includes such information as births, marriages, probate information, and deaths of individuals who settled in Missouri.
Caldwell County, Missouri Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Caldwell County, Missouri Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Missouri Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Caldwell County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Caldwell County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Caldwell County ] [ Missouri ] [ Main Page ]
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Caldwell County, Missouri Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Traditional Indian History

Prior to the coming of the white man, the territory now included in Caldwell County is supposed to have been used by the Missouri Indians as a hunting-ground. The presence of arrow-heads shows that they made occasional camps within its boundary. It is said that there was an Indian village a little north of the Daviess County line and that an Indian trail from it ran a few miles east of Kingston to a camp in Fairview Township. A northern tribe, possibly the Sioux, having invaded the Missouri country, was defeated in a fierce battle near Flat Rock Ford over Crooked River in Rockford Township over 150 years ago. The old timers yet alive in the county recall that even up to 1870 they met occasional groups of wandering, begging Indians who caused great alarm to the women and children but were quite harmless.

Earliest White Settlers in Caldwell County

Caldwell County was once a part of Ray County. For many years after the organization of Ray County, the territory now included in Caldwell was unsettled. Over it roved migratory Indians and white hunters, but it was not considered desirable for homes because it had too much prairie land. Early settlers avoided prairie sod which refused to be broken by their weak plows and preferred the timber lands which, having been cleared, gave them mellow soil and also provided them with wood for building cabins and for fuel. It was in the spring of 1831 that the first settler built his cabin in what is now Caldwell County. This was Jesse Mann, Sr. who came up from his home in Ray County and settled on the N.W. 1/4 of the S.W. 1/4 of section 22, township 56, range 28, one half mile northeast of the public square of Kingston. He picked out a location on upper Shoal Creek where he had plenty of timber, water, and game. Part of his farm is now the home of Mrs. Inskipp of Kingston and his original forty acres corners with the Fox-Hunt grounds. Jesse Mann, Sr. was a Virginian and had come to Ray County in 1820. He was a slave-owner and brought his slaves with him into Caldwell County. In the summer of 1831, three other Ray County settlers joined this "Shoal Creek Settlement" as it was called. One of these was Jesse M. Mann who settled one half mile south of his father on Log Creek. In May, 1832, occurred the first wedding in this county. Julia Mann, daughter of Jesse Mann, Sr., was married to Hardin Stone, who later ran a well-known mill just over the Daviess County line. (It is of interest to know that the millstone on the Hamilton Library ground once belonged to the old Hardin Stone Mill.) In the summer of 1832, most of these Shoal Creek settlers went back to the better settled parts of Ray County because of the scare over the Black Hawk War, but Jesse M. Mann remained and became the first permanent settler of the county. Within the next year, several new settlers came. Among them were Robert White and Jacob Haun who became millers in Fairview Township Samuel Hill; who settled in Kingston Township but later held hundreds of acres throughout the county and was the ancestor of the Hill family of New York Township; the Lyons brothers and Sam Richey who founded Salem in Kingston Township (see below); James Crowley who came from Ray County to settle near the present Cottonwood Church in Grant Township; Samuel McGee a settler in Rockford Township; James Frazier a settler in Lincoln Township; Jesse Clevenger a settler in Mirabile Township; and Zephaniah Woolsey, a settler in Fair view Township. Many of these pioneer names are to be found in Caldwell County today. By 1835, probably twenty-five or thirty families were living in the present boundaries of Caldwell County. The First Town in Caldwell County Now we come to the first town in our county. In 1833, the three Lyons brothers, who were Mormon exiles form Jackson County, settled at Log Creek, two miles southeast of Kingston. They built a horse mill (the first mill in the county), a blacksmith shop and three cabins for their families. Four other families were quickly drawn to this little backwoods settlement, among them being Samuel Richey of Ohio. This made a village which the settlers named Salem. Salem was the voting precinct for north Ray County (as this county was then called). In 1839 John Duston came here from New York, and buying several acres of land near Salem (or Salemtown as many called it), he laid it out in town lots, hoping for a future city. A tavern was built there, and the stage coach which went to Richmond made stops there, but the little village did not grow. When the county seat was moved from Far West to the new town Kingston after the Mormon exodus from the county, Salem was abandoned, and now nothing is left to mark its site.

The Earliest Mills in Caldwell County

In pioneer days mills held a very important position. The first settlers in Caldwell County were forced to make a trip by ox team to take their grist to the mills of Ray County. There were three types of mills used in early Caldwell County history. There were water, sweep, and tread mills. The favorite location for a pioneer mill was by a creek which provided waterpower, but many early mills were run by horse or ox power. In the sweep (or pull-around) type of mills, a horse or ox was hitched to the end of the sweep. It was customary for the farmer who brought grist to be ground to use his own horses to provide power for the mill, and many old people still recall how they as children rode the horses, or even the sweep, while the grist was being ground. The Lyons brothers in the fall of 1833 built the first mill in the county, a horse mill, at Salem in Kingston Township and made good money. In 1834, Robert White built a water mill on Shoal Creek in Fairview Township near what was later known as Mormon town Ford. This mill was washed away in the flood of 1839. In 1834, Jacob Haun, a Mormon settler, started another water mill on Shoal Creek in Fairview Township near the White Mill. It was on the N.W. 1/4 of the N.E. 1/4 of section 17, a site destined to become one of the most famous spots in Caldwell County because of the Mormon troubles (see below). This mill stood until torn down in 1845. The Mormons started a water mill on Shoal Creek a little west of the old bridge on the old Hamilton- Kingston road. At the expulsion of the Mormons, this unfinished mill was sold to Wilhoit and Massingill who ran it until it was washed away in the forties. Mills built after 1838 will be described in Chapter II.

Mormon Occupation of Caldwell County

Up to this time, there was no Caldwell County for, as we have seen, the territory was a part of Ray County. It was organized as a separate county in December 1836 with the county seat at Far West. It was named by Gen. Alexander W. Doniphan (of Mexican War fame) in honor of Cap't Caldwell, an early Indian fighter of Kentucky. But at this point, we must learn why it was necessary to organize Caldwell County just at this time. The answer involves an eventful period not only in the history of the county, but in the history of Missouri and the United States. I refer to the "Mormon Occupation" of this county 1836-39. A very brief sketch of the Mormon movement is given for a better understanding to the vents which follow. Joseph Smith, the founder of the church of the Latter Day Saints or "Mormons" as commonly called, was living in the State of New York when in 1823 he claimed to have a divine revelation which told him to dig up certain gold plates. These gold plates, written in mystic characters, contained the Book of Mormon which gave a new religion to the world. Smith's preaching gained many converts. He and his converts first settled at Kirtland, Ohio, but because of opposition, they moved west to Independence Jackson County, Missouri, seeking a location where they could worship as they wished. Opposition to the Saints (or Mormons) also developed there and they were driven from that county into Clay County where they stayed until they settled in Caldwell County. It was in 1833 that we saw the first Mormon families coming into the backwoods of our county. More families followed in 1834 to escape the growing persecution in other counties. In 1836 an arrangement was made by the state legislature by which an entire county was to be given to the Saints (or Mormons). Two new counties were to be carved out of the northern part of Ray County. The extreme north end was to be Daviess County, reserved for Gentile settlers (Gentile was the term applied to a person who was not a Mormon); the middle section was to be Caldwell County. This new county was to be reserved for Mormons. To be sure several Gentile settlers already were living in the future Caldwell County, but all hoped that these Gentiles would sell out to the Mormons and that thus the Mormon question which had been disturbing western Missouri for several years would be settled when the Mormons had a county to themselves. Some of the Gentile families, however, did not wish to sell their farms and so stayed. In the fall of 1836, the Mormons began to enter the county in large numbers. The so called "Mormon immigration" came in from the south over the Rock Ford of Crooked River in Rockford Township. The townships showing the largest Mormon population were Mirabile, Rockford, Kingston, Fairview, and Kidder. They preferred timber land to prairie land and settled thickly along Shoal Creek and the other creeks in the county. They established Far West as the headquarters of the church in Missouri. This town lay five miles northwest of the present site of Kingston in the northeast corner of Mirabile township. By 1838, it was a growing city of over 4000 people. Plans had been made for the building of a great temple there. The excavation had been dug and the corner stone laid. In Far West was the first school house in the county (probably built in 1836) which was also used for a church, town hall and county court house. Besides the city of Far West, there was the hamlet at Salem and another hamlet at Haun's Mill in Fairview Township. In 1838, Haun's Mill settlement was made up of a blacksmith shop, the mill, several log cabins and several families living in covered wagons because they had not yet entered lands. It is interesting to note the names of great leaders in the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Church who once were citizens of this county: Joseph Smith, the prophet who founded the church; Hiram Smith, his brother; Brigham Young, afterwards president of the church in Utah; John Taylor, another president; Bishop Partridge, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, John D. Lee. By 1838, serious troubles began to appear between the Mormons and the Gentiles in this county and surrounding counties. These quarrels led to what is known as the "Mormon War" which occurred in the fall of 1838. Throughout this war, the Missouri militia was under the command of Gen. Doniphan (already mentioned) and Gen. Lucas, while the Mormon Caldwell County militia was under Gen. Hinkle. The first engagement was at Crooked River near the south edge of Rockford Township where the Gentiles were routed. This skirmish infuriated the Gentiles to strong action. On October 30, occurred the so-called "Haun's Mill Massacre" in which a Gentile force from Livingston County attacked the settlement at Haun's Mill in Fairview Township. Seventeen Mormons were killed, among them Thos. McBride, an old Revolutionary War soldier. The next day, the survivors buried their dead in an unfinished well. For years the site of this attack has been used as a cornfield, and today it is impossible to find the exact site of the Haun's Mill Massacre. October 31, the day after the attack on Haun's Mill, Gen. Hinkle commanding the Mormon forces at Far West, surrendered the town to the state militia also giving up the leaders of the church as prisoners. After the surrender of Far West, the Gentiles demanded the immediate removal of the Mormons from the whole state. Some Mormons sold their farms at a low price, some traded for a team and wagon; some even abandoned their farms without sale, in their haste to leave for Illinois which was to be their home until they went to Utah. By June 1839, most Mormons had left Caldwell County. The few who were left were dissenters from the faith or the authority of the church. After the expulsion of the Mormons, most of the empty houses of Far West were removed to farms. Upon the removal of the county seat to Kingston which was founded in 1843, the town dwindled away. Today, the old temple foundation remains to remind us of the exciting period of the Mormon occupation of Caldwell County.

Between the Mormon Exodus and the Civil War

After the expulsion of the Mormons, the population of Caldwell County fell to less than 1000 people, but this number was soon considerably increased by the coming of new settlers who either entered unimproved land directly from the government or purchased the Mormon lands at very low prices. Some of the early settlers paid the government as little as twelve cents an acre for their homes. Ilett Tobbin, who in 1840 settled near the present site of Braymer, bought much land at this price and will be remembered as the largest land owner in the history of the county (about 1500 acres). There was no land tax until after 1842. The haste attending the sale of the abandoned Mormon farms led later to great confusion in land titles in this county. As late as 1890 cases appeared in our county courts to clear disputed or clouded titles to lands to which Mormon claims (often in the hands of speculators) had been filed long after the Mormon exodus. Shortly after the Mormon period, several outstanding settlers came into Caldwell County. George Smith ("Sheep" Smith) drove over 1000 head of sheep from Ohio to Mirabile Township in 1844 and became the pioneer wool grower of Missouri. He was later elected Lieutenant-Governor of Missouri. Major T.W. Higgins was the first settler to choose prairie land for a home. People considered him very foolish because he preferred prairie land to timber land. He married the daughter of Wesley Hines, another well known pioneer of Rockford Township. Charley Ross was a picturesque figure of Fairview Township in the early forties. He bought Mormon and entered other land from the government, becoming wealthy. John T. Davis was the first settler in Davis Township (which was named for the Davis family). When he came here in 1839, the country was wild, and wolves and panthers were numerous. Since his cabin had nothing but cloth at the door and window, he built a bonfire every night to keep away the wild animals. William McCray was an early blacksmith, farmer and justice of the peace in Lincoln Township. He once held a murder trial under an elm tree because there was no way to get to the court house. Dr. W.F. Crawford of Mirabile was miller, doctor, store keeper, farmer, and stock raiser. Dwight Dodge of Kingston Township was preacher, farmer, and carpenter. In fact, these early pioneers were often men of many talents. Then there were the Estes, Plumb, Doll, Penney, Goodman, Buster, Hudgins, Sackman, Ellis, Pemberton and dozens of other families all of whom were splendid types of pioneers.

New Mills

With the coming of more settlers, more mills started up. The Fugitt water mill, north of Far West on Shoal Creek, ran from 1839 until 1859 when it was washed away. The Gardner horse mill was north of Mirabile and later was well known as the Sackman Mill. In 1843, Solomon Cox built a water mill on Shoal near Salem which was a noted institution until washed away in the fifties. In 1847 Sam Richey built a "pull around" horse mill near Salem, which after his death was run by his wife. Old people in the south part of the county yet talk about "Mother Richey's" Mill. The Richey millstones may be seen today in the old McClelland graveyard in Kingston Township. In 1848, Wm. Marquam built an ox mill at Mirabile for meal and saw logs and he also had a wool carding mill. This in later times was the Dr. Crawford Mill which ran for many years. Dr. Crawford always kept a lantern hanging in front of the mill at night to guide late customers. This mill was torn down in 1933. In 1844, Robert White built his second water mill on Shoal which later became the well known Filson Mill. In the fifties, Wm. Hawks ran a water mill on his farm on Cottonwood Creek in New York Township which ground meal and sawed logs. In fact, most of these mills had certain days for grinding and certain days for sawing logs. Later mills were Murphy's Mill near Breckenridge and Marshall's Mill near Catawba. The millstones from Marshall's Mill were recently dug up and sold as relics. Settlers in the extreme north end of Caldwell County often took their grist to the Uncle Jerry Lenhart Mill just over the Daviess County line.

Militia Musters An interesting feature of the forties was a militia muster. By state law every able bodied man between eighteen and forty-five belonged to the county militia and must report tot he militia muster for practice. Such musters were held at Far West and Kingston and drew great crowds. Col. T.N.O. Butts was the commanding officer. The purpose of the muster was to insure protection to the people, but because the drill was of little value, the law was repealed in 1846.

Mexican War and California Gold Rush During the Mexican War, only a few settlers from this country went to the war. The greatest effect of the war was in the prosperity which came to the citizens in the sale of flour, bacon, corn and horses to the U.S. Army. During the California gold rush of 1849-50, over one hundred men went west to hunt gold. Solomon Cox, miller of Kingston Township, and several others died in California. None of the men came back with wealth.

Fords and Bridges

In the early days of this county, there were no bridges. When people came to creeks, they hunted places where it was easy to ford the streams. Such fords became known usually by the name of the near by farms. Probably the most famous ford in Caldwell County was Flat Rock Ford over Crooked River in Rockford Township, scene of a traditional Indian battle and the entry of the Mormons into the Caldwell County. There were probably fifty fords in frequent use in this county in its earlier history. In this brief history only a few of these can be mentioned. Several fords occurred near Mills-- Cox's Mill Ford, Gardner's Mill Ford, Hawks's Mill Ford, two fords near the Filson Mill. Others were Henkins Ford later Henkins bridge) in New York Township, Mapes Ford west of Kingston, a well known "baptizing hole" fifty years or more ago, the Kingston Ford over Shoal which preceded the old Kingston covered bridge on the old Hamilton and Kingston road. The first bridge in the county was the covered wooden bridge over Shoal near Kingston, built in 1859. After many repairs, it was torn down in 1894 to give place to a steel bridge. By 1875, there were four bridges in the county.

Early Roads

The early pioneers came into the county by following trails rather than roads. Tall prairie grass grew on either side. A state road from Richmond to Gallatin which passed through Kingston was for years the only thoroughfare connecting our county with the Missouri River. Merchandise intended for this section was carried by boat to Camden in Ray County and then carried over this state road by ox team to its destination. This road passed through the site where Hamilton was later built. In 1855, the state coach route was established between Gallatin and Lexington. Hamilton, scarcely yet started, was made a stage station. Another old state road ran from the direction of Chillicothe into Gomer Township. Going in a southeast direction, it ran past the old William Clampitt farm in Gomer Township toward Kingston. This road also was a stage road and the Clampitt house (or Clampitt Hotel as often called) was a night stop for the stage coach. Traces of this road may still be found in fields and farm yards. There was the so called Overland or County s